On His Holiness Sri Narasimha Swamiji

(REPRODUCED FROM 'SAMARPANAM')

All of us proclaim and claim to be devotees of Sri Sai Baba. We say we love and adore Sri Sai Baba. His Holiness Sri Narasimha Swamiji, the Founder of All India Sai Samaj, Mylapore, Madras, was also a great devotee of Sri Sai Baba. His love of Sri Sai Baba was unique and unparallelled. Our love or worship of Sri Sai Baba is often conditioned by Baba fulfilling our prayer for relief from difficulties official, financial, physical, mental, etc. If Baba should either delay the grant of our prayer or not grant at all our prayer for reasons best known to him, most of us would be sore with Baba and our love and regard for Baba would thereafter undergo a diminution on that score. Our love of Baba may not be totally extinct, but it will not be as vigorous and powerfull as it was before.

Let us take H.H. Sri Narasimha Swamiji's love of Baba. Sri Swamiji was born and lived rich. He was a lawyer of great repute in the Salem Bar enjoying a very lucrative practice. He had everything in life which could make life quite happy and comfortable. He was held in high esteem in social and political circles. To quote Sri Swamiji's own words, .B.V. N. Swami was one of the foremost in the ranks of lawyers and political agitators, legislative councillors and Home Rule workers...' (Life of Sai Baba, Vol. II, First Edition P. 312). The domestic calamity in 1921 of two of his children getting drowned in the well in the compound of his bungalow in Salem is only, as it turned out to be, an excuse for his turning away from all domestic, social, and political affairs, which he was pursuing until then, and directing his attention to the realisation of God. He immediately renounced his position and possessions and went to Sri Ramanasramam in Tiruvanamalai, and from there ultimately reached Shirdi, where Sri Sai Baba completely possessed him. Swamiji found his God in Sri Sai Baba, Swamiji also realised then that it was Baba after all who was shaping his career for decades.

Thereafter, Sri Swamiji, with his large heart, wanted the whole of humanity to benefit by contact with Sri Sai Baba. So, with Baba's implicit approval, he started giving lectures all over India spreading the name and glory of Sri Sai Baba and emphasising that Baba is Krishna, Rama, Shiva, Lakshmi, and all the other gods, and worship to and prayer to him would greatly benefit the devotees. He also published a number of pamphlets and books on Sri Sai Baba. As a. result, many beyond Maharashtra became Sai devotees, and they have found in actual life that Sai is their whole support. Sri Swamiji did all the Sai Prachar unmindful of the difficulties he had to meet in travelling by train, or road, or foot too sometimes between villages. (He was not the affluent lawyer of the Salem Bar then). Sri Swamiji considered that he lived solely for the purpose of carrying on Sai Prachar. This is something extraordinary.

When Sri Swamiji was in the General Hospital, Madras, undergoing treatment for a broken thigh bone, an iron pin was driven through his calf muscle, and the leg from knee downwards was kept on a pedestal. In that painful position, Sri Swamiji lay for a few days. He never said even once why Baba, his God, should put him to this pain and suffering. Instead, he converted the whole ward into a miniature Sai Mandir. He went on giving Udhi with the blessing 'Baba Poorna Prasda Siddhirasthu*. Any ordinary person would have probably held Baba to blame for the suffering. Sri Swamiji was different.

As one assisting him in the preparation of numerous articles for Sai Sudha and other publications on Sri Sai, I used to be with Swamiji almost everyday. Normally I would take with me a few pieces of sugarcandy or some fruits to be given to him before I bowed to him. Swamiji would receive them or sometimes ask me to place them by his side. But whenever I gave him a few pages of typed matter for publication, he would at once take it from me with his face beaming with great joy. The joy that he exhibited then was in direct proportion to his love of Sri Sai Baba.

One morning, in the Samaj premises (the Samaj was then in Sri Thiagaraja lyer's house, near the present Sai Mandir), Sri Swamiji was telling me 'All right ; if Baba is pleased to remain in a stable, let him be'. The construction work in the newly acquired premises was then very much halting for want of funds. After a few minutes, I left. In the evening, I saw him again. In great joy he announced, 'You see, how gracious Baba is. Two mica merchants from Gudur came in the afternoon and each gave Rs. 1,500/- With this, the construction work can proceed'. This is just one instance of his demonstration of his deep love for Baba. Much against the advice of some well meaning people, Swamiji acquired the land adjoining the then Samaj premises in Mylapore. Thanks to his foresight, today Sri Sai Vidyalaya and Sai Kala Mantap (H. H. Narasimha Swamiji Centenary Hall) are proudly standing on this land.

Sri Swamiji's expression of gratitude to all those who rendered him any help whatever was something very distinct. The humble writer of this article was helping Sri Swamiji in the preparation of the work 'Life of Sai Baba' by taking notes to his dictation. When the work was complete and ready for the press, Sri Swamiji wrote out the preface, and in the concluding portion of it recorded his acknowledgements to all those who helped him in the preparation of this work. While dictating the notes, Swamiji said 'His work, if it had been charged for according to the prevailing scales, would have involved the author in the expenditure of over a thousand rupees which, of course, were not available...' (P. xii Life of Sai Baba, Vol. I, First Edition) But, in actually typing out the copy, for the words 'over a thousand rupees' I typed 'a few hundred rupees'. This was done purposely so as to take away so much importance being shown to me. But Sri Swamiji, with his critical eye, noted this variation, cut it out, and restored the original namely, 'over a thousand rupees'. By the time I came to know of it, the form had been printed and brought out. Sri Swamiji always magnanimously acknowledged appropriately any help, however small it may be, rendered to Baba's work.

Even in physical strength and stamina Swamiji excelled many of us. It was difficult to keep pace with him while walking. Swamiji on many days would walk from the AISS premises to the second hand book shop near Luz. To accompany him I had to run almost ! On one occasion, I remember, somebody gave Swamiji a piece of manifolding paper in the centre of the road in front of the Samaj. Swamiji wrote on it in a steady hand. There was no support or pad to hold the paper in position. Still the writing was very clear and distinct. Swamiji had a keen sense of smell. He was a good humorist also. For some time when he was staying with his son in Mount Road, Teynampet, Swamiji used to cook his food himself. Even as he would be dictating notes to me, he would suddenly say 'The rice is cooked'. The power of smell should have been strong in him, since the stove used to be some fifteen feet away.

About his sense of humour, I recall a funny incident here.

The matter for Volume I of the Life of Sai Baba had been printed and the Preface by Swamiji therefor had also been got ready. It was given to the press for printing. They printed and placed it at the end of the Volume. When this came to Swamiji's notice, he remarked, "Eh ! they have put the Preface at the end!" The mistake was then corrected.

Swamiji was a stickler for punctuality. He used to say that unpunctuality was a sin. From his son's residence in Mount Road, unmindful of the hot sun, he would come by bus to the Samaj to keep up appointments.

Sri Swamiji would call Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji endearingly 'Radhakrishna'. The love the two had for each other can be explained by them only. I can only say that it was something divine. I have been told by Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji that Sri Narasimha Swamiji wanted him to go to Bangalore and start the work of Sai Prachar. True to the words of the Master, Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji by his pioneering and enthusiastic efforts had carried on Sai Prachar in Bangalore and other adjoining areas for about twentyfive years. He has also brought into existence a mandir for Sri Sai in the name 'Sri Sai Spiritual Centre', which is attracting larger and larger number of devotees day after day. Radhakrishna Swamiji had also laid down certain codes of discipline for the devotees, to be observed, while in the Centre. These codes are scrupulously followed by all willingly and spontaneously.

All glory to Sri Sai Baba, his apostle Sri Narasimha Swamiji, and his disciple Shri Radhakrishna Swamiji!

R. RAJAGOPALAN

Madras.